Writing Will Be The Death Of Me
by Assina
Summary: Grimmjow didn't mean to hit him. Seriously. *This is a GrimmIchi YAOI. Lemons will most likely be somewhere in the later chapters.
1. Bozo's

**A/N:** So... in case you didn't know yet, this is a revised version of a story I have already posted, just like my other multi-chap. I basically just combined chapters and edited it all, but don't think I'm getting lazy. By the third or fourth chapter you should see some new stuff.

Here it is c:

* * *

Chapter 1

Ichigo leaned back in his chair and he stretched out, cracking his back. A contented sigh escaped his lips, and he smiled widely at the printer while it began to spit out the first pages his manuscript. He'd just finished the last of his newest novel. Now, all that was left was to read over it, bring it to his editor and leave the rest to the publishers he had recently signed a contract with.

Finally, he would be able to sleep a few days without getting any impatient calls from those stupid bastards.

Right as he was going to get up and make his fourth cup of coffee of the evening, the sleek black cell phone on the computer desk vibrated, rumbling slightly across the dark wood. Ichigo glared at it. What idiot would dare call and ruin moment of celebration? He snatched it up and pressed it to his ear, speaking through his teeth.

"Yes?" He said, trying to keep his tone even and polite. It didn't work all that well.

"Ichigo!" The person on the other line greeted with enthusiasm. You could even hear the smile in her voice.

He already knew the caller. It was obvious. "What do you want, Yoruichi?".

"Well, first of all, how is your book coming?"

"Just finished it."

"Oh, great!" She exclaimed. "We'll have to celebrate at Bozo's tonight!"

Ichigo thought Bozo's was the worst restaurant in the world. He hated the food and everything about it, but didn't voice it to Yoruichi. If he did she would probably want to go clubbing, and he hated that worse than Bozo's. He sighed. "Is that all you wanted?"

"No, I was also calling to let you know that the models for the cover of your book are here at the shoot, and you need to come watch them in action. I think you'll like these two!"

Ichigo didn't answer right away. He knew he would have to go no matter what he said, because what Yoruichi always got her way. That still didn't keep him from dreading it, though. Over the past couple of years, his social life went down the drain and his tolerance for other people began to wear thin. The main person he socialize with was his manager, Yoruichi. Her personality was almost the exact opposite of his, and he often found himself questioning why he hadn't fired her yet.

"Are you still there?" Yoruichi asked, ripping him from his thoughts.

"Yeah," His lip curled.

"Well are you going to come over here?"

"I guess so, 's not like I have a choice."

She ignored his moody comment. "Okay. Do you need directions?"

"..."

She took his silence as a yes. After making him find a pen and paper to write them down on, she gave him the directions, hung up, and reminded him to be there within the hour. Ichigo scratched his stomach and sauntered into the kitchen to get the coffee he'd been craving. He took a few minutes to lean against the counter and sip it before just giving up and downing the rest of it in one gulp.

After that, he went into his room and tried to make himself look somewhat decent, putting on a silky, sapphire blue T-shirt and a pair of dark jeans. He brushed his teeth and washed his face, but didn't bother much with his wild orange hair. It had a mind of it's own.. He'd learned that long ago and knew it wouldn't ever change.

Now that he was okay with the way he looked, Ichigo grabbed his car keys and cell phone and stepped outside, kicking the stack of newspapers that were left at his door out of the way. It was the first time he'd left the apartment in three days. He made his way down the wooden steps and to the parking lot, where he then got into a shiny black Ferrari, which had been a birthday present from Yoruichi a year or so ago. Despite his protests about the expensiveness of it she left the car in the lot and left him there to clean up the mess, new keys in hand.

Ichigo put the keys into the ignition and low purr erupted from the car as it came to life. He pulled it out of the driveway with a shift in gear and a tap on the pedal, leaving the complex. He carefully followed the directions he was given until he arrived in the east side of the city and ended up at a gray, one-story building. A large white sign in the front read Hiroshima Photos inc.

He prepared himself mentally before he got and began walking towards the entrance. The door swung open, revealing a grinning and excited Yoruichi. Her cat-like eyes were focused on him and had a mischievous twinkle in them. "Come on, Ichigo! The shoot's almost over!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes and followed her in the door and through the lobby. The bored-looking receptionist glanced at them once before returning her attention to her magazine. Yoruichi blew through the hallway, making it so that Ichigo had a hard time keeping up with her despite the fact that he was seven inches taller than her and had longer legs.

She led him into the room at the very end, the door already open.

As soon as they stepped inside Ichigo's eyes honed in on some of the best looking people he'd seen in a while. There were two, a male and a female. The moved into a number of professional-looking poses as the photographer snapped photos, praising them in his strange accent. "Oi, turn zis way!" He made a crazy motion with his hand, and they moved slightly. "Yes, zat iz bettur!" He took one more picture. "Otay, we are done!"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the man. He glanced over at Yoruichi, who was gazing at the two models intensely. He followed her gaze with his own and decided to observe them. The female had soft auburn locks that reached down to the small of her back, and light cream skin that looked very well taken care off. Her eyes were huge and gray, with plenty of makeup piled around them in an attempt to make them look even bigger.

The second model, the male, towered over his partner. He seemed about six feet tall and was shirtless, revealing his tan, ripped body that proved he worked out more than Ichigo ever thought about doing. The thing that caught Ichigo's eye the most, however, was the man's gravity-defying, sky-blue hair, which looked like he constantly ran his hand through it even though it. His look was riveting, and for some reason captivated Ichigo like no one ever had before.

The model's piercing blue eyes were now focused on him. Ichigo noticed that there was a smile curling up his lips, probably because he noticed his gawking.

Ichigo felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, and Yoruichi wagged her finger at him. "It's not nice to stare!"

"Tch." He scowled and looked away, a slight flush on his cheeks.

The blue haired man went straight up to Ichigo, holding his hand out for a shake."I've heard about you."

Ichigo stared at the large hand dumbly for a few seconds before the man said something again, bringing him out of his blank state of mind. "Ya' gonna shake it or what?" His voice was rough and deep, and held a sort of manly power to it.

The writer blinked twice and took the warm hand, shaking it loosely. "Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Yeah, I know that already," He said with a wide grin, pulling his hand away. "I'm Grimmjow Jeagerjaques."

Yoruichi gestured to the female model, attempting to help Ichigo with his awkwardness. "And that's Orihime Inoue!"

Orihime beamed, her face lighting up like the sun as she waved at him. "Hello!"

"Hey..." Ichigo replied sheepishly. He felt a strong urge to leave, to get away from these embarrassingly pretty people. They made him feel weird... especially the blue-haired one. He couldn't quite put his finger on the type of vibes he was getting from him, and this half-frightened him. Right as he was going to muster up the courage to say goodbye and take off, Yoruichi grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him towards the exit. "Come on guys, we'll be late!"

Grimmjow grumbled something about putting a shirt on, and Orihime followed him to the back to go change into something more appropriate, too.

"Where are we going?!" Ichigo demanded as he was dragged outside to Yoruichi's Mazda. "And what about my car?!"

"Bozo's, of course! I made reservations already." She threw him in the backseat. "And don't worry, I'll bring you back here later."

She slammed the door on him and got into the driver's seat. Soon the other two got in, wearing more casual clothing. Grimmjow scooted in the back beside Ichigo, smiling about something that he didn't voice. Yoruichi started the car and whipped it out of the lot, racing it down the street and making her comrades' stomachs jolt. Ichigo curled against the door. He was starting to feel carsick. It was quiet for a few minutes while they rode to whatever destination they were heading for, or at least until Orihime turned around in her seat and addressed Ichigo.

"You know Mr. Kurosaki, I've read all your romance novels! They're so beautifully written."

Ichigo peeked at her out of the corner of his eye, letting out a muffled "Thank you." He could swear he heard Grimmjow giving a quiet chuckle that he assumed was directed at him. The sound was thick and surprisingly, a bit soothing. Ichigo kind of wanted to hear it again, but pushed the desire away as soon as it came, scolding himself.

The torturous ride seemed to go on forever as he attempted to tune out Yoruichi and Orihime, now chattering. Grimmjow would occasionally say something smart-assed to them but was otherwise quiet. He actually started to doze off before he felt the car turn sharply and then come to an abrupt stop, making him regret not wearing a seat belt. He ended up being helped off the floorboard by a still-amused Grimmjow. Ichigo involuntarily blushed again and scampered out of the car.

"Come on boys!" Yoruichi sang, her and Orihime already making their way towards he entrance. "I'll have to pay extra if we don't get to our table soon!"

"You heard 'er," Grimmjow told him. "Let's go." He grabbed Ichigo by the arm and gently pulled him along, only letting go when Ichigo started to walk on his own.

"Forceful much?" He muttered, not intending for Grimmjow to hear him.

"Hm?" He looked back at Ichigo, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothin'."

Grimmjow shrugged and opened the door, letting Ichigo inside first and following after him when he shuffled past shyly.

Yoruichi and Orihime were standing at the checkout desk.

"What is your name?" The short, pudgy man standing behind the counter asked Yoruichi. He looked like he hadn't bathed in quite a while, and his hair was greasy and slicked back. Yoruichi seemed oblivious to this fact, though, and flashed him a smile.

"My surname is Shihouin. I made reservations here earlier."

The man waved a hand and a petite woman came over and motioned for them to follow her. Ichigo couldn't help but to notice that she was no more than four feet tall.

The group of four went after the little waitress and sat down at a large rounded table, and Grimmjow yet again took his place beside Ichigo, giving him a feral grin that didn't at all seem like just a friendly smile. Ichigo shivered and tore away from his gaze, now directing his attention at their waitress.

"Hello," She said politely, whipping out a pen and notepad from the pocket of her apron. "I'm Rukia, and I'll be your waitress today. What would you all like to drink?"

Yoruichi spoke first. "Water, please."

"I'll have a coke," Orihime told her.

"What about you two?" Rukia asked, directing the question at the two men.

"I'll just have a water too." Ichigo muttered, still turned away from Grimmjow.

Grimmjow leaned back a little farther in his chair, hands resting behind his head. "Beer." He said simply, not even bothering to look at her.

"Okay! I'll be back shortly with your drinks, please figure out what you're going to order while I'm gone." She stuffed the notepad in pen back in her pocket and rushed off.

Grimmjow closed his eyes as if to go to sleep, not looking at the menu. The other two women did though, and began talking about strange food combinations that would make any normal human being run to the toilet at the sight of them.

Ichigo began picking absentmindedly at his napkin. He was really wishing he was at home, because he was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

_Plunk._

A glass of ice water was slapped down on the table in front of him, so hard he was genuinely surprised it didn't break. He refrained himself from saying something inappropriate and controlled himself by pursing his lips together.

"There you go!" Rukia said as she gave everyone their drinks, handing Grimmjow a bottle of beer.

"That was quick," Yoruichi commented. "You're good."

She smiled. "Have you guys decided yet?"

"Yeah!" Orihime said. "I'll have pancakes with cucumbers and ketchup!"

"Same here," Yoruichi said. "Inoue says it's really good, so I'll give it a try."

Ichigo shuddered, and Grimmjow muttered something that sounded along the lines of "What a buncha' freaks...", before giving his order in a louder voice.

Rukia wrote it down and looked at Ichigo, waiting for an order. It was then he remembered he hadn't decided on anything yet, not that he'd had much time. Besides, the food here disgusted him. "I'll pass. I'm not hungry."

"Nonsense!" Yoruichi said. "You're going to eat. He'll have a hamburger with fries, toy optional."

Ichigo gave her a death glare. "I don't want that-"

"Alright," Rukia cut off, probably not even realizing he'd spoken to her. "I'll be back soon."

She left.

Sighing in defeat, the novelist looked back down at his napkin, which was currently ripped into pieces and arranged in a neat pile. He then took to staring at the pile, even resorting to glaring at it.

Suddenly, he felt a rough poke in his side, and jumped.

"Ow!" He growled, clutching his newly poked rib and looking around in all directions. "Who did that?!"

A cruel snicker came from next to him. "I couldn't help it, you looked funny starin' at your napkin like that."

Ichigo spun his head around and glared at Grimmjow, trying his best to look threatening. "Don't touch me."

"Why not? Seein' as you got a blush on your face, I don't think you mind it much." Grimmjow said with a wide, mischievous grin.

"Shutup!"

"See?" Grimmjow grinned even wider so that almost all of his teeth showing. "You didn't even deny it!"

Ichigo silently cursed to himself for that, barely managing to keep the hard scowl on his face. "You've got some nerve, blueberry."

Grimmjow's smile disappeared, and a rather scary look replaced it. "Blueberry?! Like you're one to talk about hair color! And quit bein' so bitchy just 'cause I was foolin' around!"

"Bitchy?! I'll show you bitchy!" Ichigo stood up, the legs of his chair scraping against the floor loudly. Grimmjow stood up too, and then they were nose to nose. Yoruichi noticed that people were staring and took immediate action, and she got up and stepped in between them, pushing them away from eachother by their chests. "Sit back down, both of you. You are attracting unwanted attention and frankly, I don't like it one bit."

After saying this in one of the most serious tones Ichigo had ever heard her use, she took herself back to her seat and sat back down next to Orihime, who was looking a little nervous. Both men gave each other one last glare before they sat back down, and they made a little more noise doing so than Yoruichi had. Ichigo felt the stares of the other people in the restaurant boring into his back, and it was pissing him off even more.

He just kept his head down and ignored them all, waiting for the food to come so they could eat, leave, and then get this stupid night over with. The food seemed like it took forever to arrive, but in reality it probably didn't take long at all. Rukia was a little too good at her job.

At last it arrived and Ichigo found a plate of greasy, hot food slapped down in front of him. It looked disgusting. When Rukia was done giving everyone their orders, she walked off once more, reminding them to call her if they needed her. Ichigo just pushed his fries around with a fork, still ignoring everyone. Mostly ignoring Grimmjow.

Or at least until he heard a certain someone next to him clear his throat.

"Ya' gonna eat that?"

Quite obviously, Grimmjow had gotten over their little disagreement quickly. Ichigo could give him a little credit for that one, because he himself was a grudge-holder. "No," He mumbled, not bothering to look at Grimmjow as he handed the plate to him. The little credit he was given, however, was taken right back when the man stuffed the burger in his mouth whole. Definitely not a plus.

Eventually Yoruichi and Orihime finished, and they called the waitress over for the bill. Yoruichi paid, refusing any attempts to split the bill, and they left. Ichigo stayed right behind the two ladies this time, feeling someone eying him in a way that made him feel uncomfortable. Coincidentally Grimmjow happened to be walking a few feet behind him.

That figured, he had a girlfriend and was still checking someone else out. And it was another man to make matters even worse.

He stuck his hands in his pockets nervously as the four made their way to the car, taking one hand out only to open the door and get in. He sat in the front this time though, as requested by Yoruichi. Ichigo began to feel carsick again when she started to drive, seeming like a crazy adrenaline-hungry teenager. He didn't allow himself to curl up into a pathetic little ball this time though. Instead, he only rested his head back on the seat and decided to close his eyes until they arrived back to the photography business.

The car screeched to a stop and he heard some doors open, making him open his eyes and start to get out too. Before he opened the door to go back to his own car and drive home, he realized they were not at Hiroshima Inc., but in the apartment complex he figured was Orihime and Grimmjow's home. So he stayed where he was when the two got out, Orihime giving an enthusiastic, "Thank you!" before closing the door and running off to catch up with Grimmjow, who had got out without a word and left her.

Yoruichi backed the car up and drove back onto the road, not saying anything yet. But Ichigo knew what was coming. She acted like a mother to him at times, even scolded him when she deemed it necessary. This was one of those times.

"You know, Ichigo," She started softly, keeping her eye on the road. "You don't have to be like that to people."

Ichigo growled, still a little angry about that incident. "He deserved it."

"No he didn't," She argued. "Grimmjow was only playing around, maybe trying to flirt with you."

"... Flirt with me? Come on, Yoruichi-"

"You can't say it isn't possible," she pointed out. "Just because it was immature flirting doesn't mean it wasn't flirting."

"But..." Ichigo looked out the window, watching the street lights fly by in a blur.

"But what?"

"I don't really doubt that, but he has has a girlfriend. I don't think he meant anything by it."

"And just how did you figure that?" She asked him, and a bit snootily too.

"Well, you know," He said, fidgeting. He didn't really feel right talking about this to her. "Orihime. She... they-"

"They aren't together, you fool. They live in the same building and are modeling partners, that's all."

"Oh." He suddenly felt bad for making assumptions.

Yoruichi decided to give him a break and they rode in silence after that. When they reached their destination and she parked, Ichigo almost got out in silence too, but she stopped him. "Bye. Have a good night."

"Yeah." He muttered, stepping out onto the pavement.

Right as he was about to close the door, she stopped him again. "Oh, and Ichigo?"

"What, Yoruichi?" He was getting annoyed and wanted only to go home.

"I didn't know you were gay." She said, grinning, her teeth glowing faintly in the dark.

"Shutup! Nobody said I was attracted to him!" Ichigo barked, and slammed the door.

* * *

By the time Ichigo arrived back at his apartment complex, he was fuming. He'd never told Yoruichi his sexual orientation, hadn't been planning on it either. She was always trying to match him up with girls and he played along with it. Now that he was found out, though, she would surely start trying to match him up with other _guys_. Yoruichi's favorite thing to do was intrude on other people's personal lives. Especially his.

He fumbled with the set of keys for a moment before finding the right one and unlocking the door. He let himself inside and flopped down on the couch after slamming the door behind him. He let out a great sigh before kicking off his shoes and falling asleep, head snuggled up against one of the couch pillows.


	2. Crash

Chapter 2

Grimmjow slammed a fist on the front door for the fifth time in about ten minutes, and yet again there was no answer. He knew the bastard was home because a car was parked out front.

"Open the damn door!" He shouted.

It swung open and Grimmjow almost hit Ulquiorra in the face as he went to knock again. His expression was unreadable, save for the hate burning in his eyes. "What do you want, trash?"

Grimmjow smiled, pleased that he had finally got the man to open his door. "I came over to visit Nel."

Ulquiorra was tempted to slam the door in his face, but decided against it as it would likely make Neliel angry. Her brother was the only other family she had in the area and she liked to keep in touch with him. He stepped over and let the sordid man inside, inclining his head towards the living room where Neliel was watching soap operas.

Grimmjow went inside and immediately let her know he was there. "Hey, Nel."

She turned her head and her face lit up when she recognized him. "Grimmjow!" She jumped up and gave him and tight hug, which he happily returned.

"I haven't seen you in a month," She said, sitting back down on the couch. "Anything new happen?"

Grimmjow sat beside her while Ulquiorra went off into the bedroom, not desiring to be any part of his trashy conversations. "Nothing special. My modeling career is picking up a little."

"Really?" She asked, intrigued. "How do you figure?"

He shrugged. "Well, I got a deal for modeling for this guy's book cover with Inoue. It went pretty well, I think."

"That's great! Who wrote the book?"

"His name's Ichigo Kurosaki."

She clapped her hands. "I love his writing!" She leaned over and picked up one of the books that lay there on the little table next to the couch. Ulquiorra's avid reader habits had rubbed off on her, apparently. She shoved it in his face. "See? This is the last one he wrote. It's called _My One Flower_."

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow at it and took it out of her hands. There was another couple on the front cover, but he didn't know who they were. It was some guy with long red hair and a big-breasted woman that had strawberry blond hair.

"So did you get to meet him?" Neliel asked.

He handed the book back to her. "Yeah."

"And?"

"Nothin' really, his manager took us to dinner." He shrugged and tried to change the subject. "Ulquiorra got a new car, I see."

"Yes, he just bought it the other day. I think it's a Lamborghini Mercielago."

"It's pretty badass."

"Do you wanna take it for a drive?" Neliel whispered, careful not to let her husband hear from his room.

"Really?"

She nodded. "Ulquiorra will probably be angry, but it's okay."

Neliel snatched the keys off the coffee table and motioned for him to follow her quietly. Grimmjow crept out the door with her, closing the door quietly behind them. He followed her out to the shiny green car, walking quickly. Neliel threw him the keys, which he caught in the air and slipped down in the driver's seat, grinning. He waited until Neliel had taken her place in the passenger seat before starting the car. It purred quietly and he pressed his foot on the break and shifted it into gear, tapping the gas pedal with his foot. It jerked back hard, and he hit his head on the back of the seat.

Neliel giggled. "I forgot to tell you, it's a little hard to drive."

He grimaced. "Oh well," he said, starting to back up again.

"Wait!" Neliel said, and he put his foot back on the brakes, causing it to jerk once more.

"What?"

"Put on your seat belt."

He sighed and put it on, not wishing to argue with her. He put his hands on the wheel and started again. "Alright, brace yourself."

Neliel laughed in delight when Grimmjow barely managed to get the car out of the driveway. He sped it up some and the car whirred, rushing down the road like it was in a race. He smiled.

* * *

"Ughn..." Ichigo murmured, rolling on his side and curling up into a tight little ball.

His stomach rumbled. Or rather, it roared. The tight pang of hunger made Ichigo open his amber eyes, groaning as he realized he hadn't eaten anything in a while, considering that imbecile he'd met last night had eaten his dinner for him. Not that he would have eaten it anyway.

He sat up on the couch and rubbed his eyes sleepily. He blinked a few times and looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It was almost noon. He usually never slept that late, but after last night's escapade he gave himself a break.

Ichigo soon noticed he had this feeling of restlessness hovering over him. It was a strong urge to get up and do something, and this was an alien feeling, one that he hadn't got in a long while. It was probably because he'd been holed up in his apartment for so long, just writing.

He wanted to walk around, like his legs weren't getting enough exercise. Which they weren't. Maybe he would just go on a short run. Yes, that would make him feel better. Ichigo stood up and went into his room. When he opened the door to his closet an orange lion plushy fell out, plopping down at his feet.

Kon.

Yes, Kon, the stupid stuffed animal that his sister, Yuzu, had given to him a few months ago that scared the shit out of him. The doll's eyes looked intelligent, as if they had a brain sitting behind them. And if you looked into them closely enough, it felt like the damned thing was alive. Which was the reason it lived stuffed in the corner of the shelf in Ichigo's closet. Somehow though, it always managed to fall out when he opened the door.

Ichigo kicked the stupid plushy in the closet with a sneer and rummaged through the mass of clothes hanging in it, trying to find something decent he could run in. Soon he came across a white T-shirt and a pair of bright red shorts which he promptly ripped off the hangers and slammed the door afterward.

As soon as Ichigo slipped the last piece of clothing on he went into the kitchen to make himself a bagel to tide over his hunger for now. He spread cream cheese on it after it popped out of the toaster and stuffed it in his mouth, walking into the living room to look for his wallet and cell phone.

When he found them, Ichigo left his condo and walked across the parking lot until he reached sidewalk that ran aside the highway of Karakura city. A few other morning runners could be seen way in front of him, and the atmosphere at this time and area was somewhat calming to him. This was good because he really needed to relax.

Ichigo walked at first, deciding not to stretch his legs because he felt weird doing that in shorts, especially in front of people. The cars passing by probably did not want to see the nice view of his backside they would receive if he were to do so. So he went without that and began to jog, hoping that his legs wouldn't cramp up on him. It had been a long time since he last exercised and he was surprised with himself for even doing it today.

The air felt light and breezy, and this was his favorite kind of weather so he let his grumpy mood lift and paced himself as he jogged, thinking that maybe he would go somewhere for lunch too. Those thoughts were quickly brushed away as he saw a car skidding around the corner. His eyes widened and he realized that the car was out of control and coming right at him.

It screeched and roared loudly, sliding on the pavement and leaving black skid marks. Two faces could be seen behind the almost-black windshield; one of them was a man with blue hair, and the other was a wide-eyed woman who seemed to be in a small panic.

Before Ichigo even had a chance to jump out of the way, he was hit.

* * *

Ulquiorra wandered out into the living room, having realized that the house was suddenly quiet and he no longer felt the presence of his wife and dreaded brother in law. Upon his arrival to the living room, a quick glance told them that they were, in fact, no longer in the house. The keys to his new car had also mysteriously disappeared. He went outside and saw that the car was gone.

"That trash," Ulquiorra said to nobody in particular.

* * *

Ichigo could hardly recall what he'd felt when he'd been hit by the car, but he could remember flying quite a ways backwards, the objects around him passing by slowly, flipping by like pages. It was almost as if he was looking at a flip book. For a second or two his vision went white and his brain turned to mush, but when he hit the ground and started to come to again, he noticed the colors around him were strange and everything was distorted. It didn't hurt then, but now it did. A lot. For some reason he saw a bunch of green splotches. They were flashing in the sky, on the ground, on the people looking at him. It was confusing and he felt a bit dazed and not all there.

He wasn't knocked unconscious at the impact and he felt the pain in all it's glory, all over his body. It was like tiny pricks of needles everywhere, the pain of it pulsing and coming in waves. His leg hurt the worst. It felt as if it was about to shatter into a million pieces and then incinerate any moment now. If his voice hadn't escaped him he would have screamed from the agony. He now sorely wished that he hadn't even bothered coming out of the house today.

_This hurts..._

Ichigo painfully turned his head to the side, squinting and letting his cheek rest on the hot asphalt. People began to gather around him, looking worried and/or scared. Some of them were yelling to call the police, while others took out their cell phones and did so. Ichigo closed his eyes and just listened to what was happening around him.

"FUCK!" A loud, familiar voice boomed.

Ichigo guessed that it was none other than Grimmjow, the dumb brute that he gathered had hit him only moments before. What a horrible coincidence.

"Oh my..." Someone said from the same direction his voice had come from, this voice being softer and more calm. It sounded like a woman. "I think you hit somebody, Grimmjow. There's somebody on the ground."

"What? Where-" Grimmjow cut himself off. Ichigo figured this meant he'd seen Ichigo lying there, looking about dead. He wouldn't lie, he felt dead.

"I know him!" The obnoxious man declared, and Ichigo could hear his feet padding against the ground as he pushed through the small crowd and made his way over to the man down.

"Hey, hey."

Suddenly, Grimmjow's tanned face was right in Ichigo's, staring down at him with his bright blue eyes. Ichigo noticed there was blue marks under them, something he'd never noticed before. He assumed they were either tattoos or eye makeup. Either way, he didn't care. What he did care about was this man... all up in his face.

"You alive?" He asked worriedly, as if Ichigo's blinking brown eyes and heaving chest didn't indicate that he was, in fact, very much alive. Before Ichigo could answer, the man seemed to realize something and sighed in disappointment.

"Well shit, I was all excited about giving you mouth to mouth," He muttered.

Ichigo's eyes widened. What? Grimmjow smirked. "I was just kidding."

Another face appeared over him, and this time it was a woman with long, seaweed-colored hair. Her eyes widened at the sight of him and she gasped. "Oh my- Is that Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Grimmjow nodded, now totally serious. The woman looked around at the other people. "Did anyone call an ambulance?"

"Yeah," One of them said. "I did."

She looked back down at Ichigo. "Where are you hurt?"

He barely managed to stutter out the word "leg," still in shock. Grimmjow leaned over and took a look at his legs. "Oh shit. Yeah, that one's broken. The left one."

Ichigo closed his eyes again and waited for help to come.

Soon enough, the whir of ambulance sirens grew close, and he heard doors open up. People shuffled out of the way of the stretcher and the paramedics as they rushed to the scene.

"Ichigo!"

He immediately recognized that voice as his father's.

"I don't think he's hurt too badly." He heard his sister, Yuzu, say.

"Hold on, son!"

The hysterical man rushed over to Ichigo, running and carrying a stretcher over his shoulders like a maniac. Ichigo felt someone lifting him up, causing a sharp pain to stab through his body yet again. He hissed and slapped at whoever had picked him up.

"Ssshit! Be more careful!"

"Well sorry that I was trying to help you!" The gruff voice said, the hard chest he was pressed up against rumbling as it's owner spoke. The voice didn't belong to his father, so who... Oh. He knew who was carrying him. Holding him. In his arms. He felt his cheeks get warm, and his eyes snapped open. They caught the blue eyes that belonged to the other man before he was lowered onto the stretcher.

Isshin gasped and frantically inspected Ichigo right away, poking him and looking everywhere to see just what injuries he had acquired.

"Oh, goodie! You only have a broken leg son, so good news- you didn't bump your head and turn into a retard." He nodded solemnly and slapped a hand on Ichigo's chest, entirely serious.

Isshin waved at Grimmjow and the other woman before turning the stretcher around and starting off with Yuzu, who was mumbling grateful thank yous to them for making sure her brother was okay. They loaded Ichigo up into the truck and drove off.

Grimmjow watched them go.

* * *

Ulquiorra was sitting on the porch, deciding that it would be wisest to wait until the two decided to return to the house, when his cell phone rang beside him, notifying him of a new text message. He looked down at it with a stoic expression and saw that it read Neliel. He opened it and read the message.

_Please don't be angry with me. I allowed Grimmjow to drive your car, and he crashed it. We need you to come and pick us up. We're on the road by the Oakhill Estates apartment complex. Please hurry._

Ulquiorra read it again with distaste before standing up and going over to Grimmjow's little blue car. He made sure the keys were in it and left the house, thinking of all the ways to scold Grimmjow for his insolence.

Ulquiorra stared at the road ahead and tried to control himself from growing to angry. His car was definitely totaled if Grimmjow had been driving it.

* * *

**A/N:** Feel free to criticize me or the story. I don't care as long as it's constructive.


	3. Break A Leg

**A/N:** Hey guys, just letting you know that this will be my last update until next weekend. Winter break is ending, unfortunately, and I have to go back to school. But you can expect weekly updates at the least.

* * *

Chapter 3

Ichigo felt exhausted and sore, and all he wanted to do was sleep. The recent events had worn him out. He let out a trembling sigh and glanced down at his now plaster-covered leg. It was almost dry, fortunately. He was grateful that his only serious injury had been a broken leg, but he still couldn't seem to wrap his mind around the fact that he had been hit by a car head-on and survived with only that. He must have good luck. Sort of.

"Well," Yuzu said, examining the small clipboard she held in her hands. "I think you'll only have to wear the cast for about five weeks. It's not too badly broken, from the looks of the X-ray."

He gave his sister a weak smile. "You're becoming a good nurse, you know."

"Thanks," She smiled back appreciatively. "I'd like to think so."

"Where's Karin?" He asked.

"Oh, I don't really know. She's been leaving the house for days at a time lately. We can't really say anything to her, because she _is_ eighteen and all."

Ichigo realized that, but he still felt uncomfortable at the news. Karin was never much of a homebody, but she always came home at the end of the day. He had to accept that his sisters were growing up, though. It was bound to happen sometime.

Isshin walked back into the tiny room with a slip of paper. "Here's your prescription, my son!"

Ichigo took the paper from his father's hands and looked at what it said. It was permission to get some kind of painkillers. "Dad, I really don't need these. I'm fine-"

"No, I insist!" Mr. Kurosaki told him. "I will not let my son sit in pain!"

"But I'm not in that much pain. I'm just tired."

"That's because your leg is numb from the shot I gave you," Yuzu pointed out. "If you take these now it won't hurt that much later."

Ichigo gave up and changed the subject. "You guys are gonna make me stay here for the night, huh?"

"Well, I was hoping you would at least stay for dinner," She said. "We never see you anymore. You'll stay, won't you?"

Isshin nodded at him from behind Yuzu, a silent way of telling him to say yes, if only for her benefit. Ichigo saw this and shrugged.

"I guess so."

* * *

Grimmjow and Neliel sat on the curb of the sidewalk, waiting for Ulquiorra to arrive. Grimmjow sighed and ran a hand through his thick blue hair. "Shit... I probably messed up big this time, huh?"

Neliel gave him a reassuring pat on the thigh. "It's okay. I'm sure Ulquiorra will get over it eventually."

"No, I didn't mean that. I meant Ichigo and his manager. What if they press charges? That'll fuckin' suck."

"I don't think they will..." She trailed off, looking down at the dirty pavement. "I saw the way you looked at him, you know. You don't even look at me like that."

Gimmjow rolled his eyes at her and tried to cover up his feelings, though he probably would have gotten defensive if anyone else were to voice something like that. "Come on, Nel. We're not together."

"Never said you did," She replied, although you could tell that she didn't believe him.

"No, but you're thinkin' it."

Neliel opened her mouth to speak again, but then quickly closed it when she saw Ulquiorra pull up in Grimmjow's car. He did not look happy. Grimmjow got up and walked over to the car like nothing had happened, like he hadn't just smashed Ulquiorra's car. Like it wasn't sitting there, waiting for a tow truck to come and dump it off somewhere. Neliel got in the front seat and immediately started muttering a string of apologies.

Ulquiorra ignored her and began to drive again, but not towards his house. They rode in silence for a few minutes, then Grimmjow finally decided to speak up.

"Where're we goin'?"

"To get a rental car, imbecile. Then I'll have to discuss this with my insurance company, and go through a big ordeal just because you decided to go on a pointless joy ride with my car." He spoke to Grimmjow like he was just another intractable teenager, and he didn't like it. Not one bit.

"Bitch. I was trying to have fun with my sister, who you never bother spending time with. You're always leavin' her at home by herself."

Ulquiorra sighed. "You know, some people have to do more than just take pictures of themselves for money. I own a hospital, and I don't expect someone like you to know just how hard it is to keep up with something like that, but you have no right to criticize me about what I do with my wife. Shut your vulgar mouth and keep it that way until we can go our separate ways."

Neliel stayed quiet throughout this, managing to stay the most calm out of all of them, but after Ulquiorra was finished speaking she quickly turned and gave Grimmjow a look that was begging him to be quiet so that the fighting would not escalate. He wanted to say something back to Ulquiorra, but settled against it in order to fulfill Nel's wishes.

They were all silent until they reached Enterprise (a company that rents cars) and Ulquiorra got out to go inside and speak with one of the employees. They sat there for about fifteen minutes before he came out with a tall, lanky man that led him to a plain silver car that had the company's name printed on the side. He made Ulquiorra sign something and then handed him the keys.

Neliel got out when Ulquiorra motioned to her, waving goodbye to Grimmjow.

"See ya," He said as he got out and took his place in the front seat. She nodded and gave him one last look before going to her husband and their newly rented car.

* * *

Ichigo stuffed a bite of teriyaki in his mouth, feeling like he hadn't eaten in years. Yuzu offered him seconds and he took it, feeling like a pig. Nobody really spoke as they ate.

Karin walked in the house halfway through their dinner.

Isshin didn't even bother saying anything to her about her tardiness. He only gave her a small nod, which she returned while she took off her coat and sat at the table with them. She didn't seem to notice Ichigo until she sat down.

She raised a eyebrow, questioning him. "Why're you here, Ichigo?"

"I was hit by a car." He said simply, like it wasn't a big deal. It really didn't feel like one anymore, the aftershock having worn off hours ago.

Karin stared at him for a few moments. "Really? What happened?"

"Long story short, I decided to go for a jog and a barbarian with blue hair ran over me. I only broke a leg, though." He knocked on his now-dry cast for emphasis.

"Oh... sorry about that, Ichigo."

He shrugged his aching shoulders and took another bite of his food. Karin had changed since the last time he saw her, which was a month or two ago. Over time, she began dressing more like a woman than a boy, and she had even given up her dirty baseball caps. It made him feel strange to see her with longer hair and more womanly assets; It didn't even feel like the old Karin at all.

Yuzu remained about the same, she didn't even grow much taller. She still made dinner every night, still cleaned up around the house. The only difference with her was that she was now working on becoming a nurse to be alongside her father in the medical field.

Isshin had stopped attacking Ichigo every time he saw him, finally giving up after he realized his body was aged a little too much for those things now. The melodramatic personality remained, however.

When Ichigo finished his dinner he got up and wobbled over to the sink to rinse his dishes off. He made his way back to where his old room was, his family looking at him silently as he went. His body was sore and he just wanted to go to sleep.

He opened the door and went inside the room, feeling a small wave of nostalgia as he did. The room hadn't changed all the much, probably the only thing that hadn't in this household. Ever since he moved out they had all begun to change. It was a bit depressing when he really thought about it.

He flopped down on his already-made bed and lie there for a little while before finally falling asleep.

* * *

Ichigo tossed and turned throughout the night, sometimes forgetting about his leg and bumping it against the wall. He had nightmares and woke up a few times in a cold sweat, forgetting what the nightmares had even been about. When morning finally arrived, he woke up at the crack of dawn, still feeling overly exhausted. He wandered out into the living room and saw that nobody was awake yet, so he just turned on the TV and sat down.

The TV was on a local news channel, which showed a blond-haired woman reporting something about an accident that had happened the day before. At first Ichigo just brushed it off and was about to change it until he gathered that they were talking about the accident he had been in.

"The car was speeding down the road at an alarming rate," The woman said. "And the driver lost control as he tried to turn. Whilst trying to right the car he over-corrected it and ran into a jogger on the sidewalk. The jogger survived with only a broken leg, but the front end of the car is destroyed. The car is believed to belong to Ulquiorra Schiffer, the owner of a large expanding chain of hospitals here in the city. More details are yet to be released. Back to you, Tom."

The screen flashed over to a man reporting about something else, and Ichigo pulled his attention away from it as he took in what he had just heard. Ulquiorra Schiffer... that man was very wealthy. He used to be a rival to his own family's hospital until he surpassed them in business. Why had Grimmjow been driving his car?

He leaned his head back on the couch. He didn't take very kindly to that man hitting him, and if it hadn't been an accident he would have been severely pissed.

Still, why wasn't he mad now?

He knew he should be, but he just wasn't. He'd even forgiven the blue-haired man already. Ichigo wondered to himself if he really was attracted to him, like Yoruichi had suggested. His cheeks flushed a bit and he was glad that he was alone and nobody could see him. He admitted to himself that he was attracted -just a little- but didn't plan on acting on that feeling. That man was far too immature to even consider talking to. Right?

* * *

"Murooowww."

Grimmjow felt something lick his ear, and still half asleep he swatted at whatever it was, not feeling awake enough to even bother with it anymore than that. His hand rested on something soft and hairy, which he then realized was the warm body of his cat, cleverly named Pantera. It purred and rubbed it's face against his head. He swatted at it once again, grunting.

Now he was almost fully awake, but still not enough to realize that the cat was laying its dirty ass on his pillow.

When he finally did come to that conclusion he propped himself up on one arm and chucked the animal off his bed. It hissed and sputtered at him before scurrying off.

"Dumbass," He called after it, his voice thick from sleepiness. "I thought I told you to stay off my fuckin' pillow."

He looked into the empty doorway for a moment before yawning and sitting up all the way. Before he had a chance to stand up, however, the cell phone on his nightstand rang loudly, it's catchy ringtone pulsing in his ears. He snatched it up and answered it, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

"H'lo?"

"Is this Grimmjow?" She asked.

"Yeah, who's this?"

"Yoruichi. Ichigo Kurosaki's manager."

"Oh," He said, suddenly remembering the past couple of days. "Right. What do you want?"

"Well, I've just recently been notified of the little accident you had, and I was wondering-"

"Is Ichigo gonna press charges on me?" He asked, cutting her off.

"I was about to tell you that I'll convince him not to if you go and... _apologize_."

"What? Are you trying to bribe me?"

"Glad you accept. I'll pick you up in an hour or so!"

She hung up.

Grimmjow cursed and slammed his phone on the bed. She hadn't even given him the option of yes or no. He threw his blanket off of his body and wondered how Ichigo was even going to react towards him. Would he even forgive him? Or would he be a bitch about it like he was at the restaurant?

He decided he didn't really care.

_Or do I?_ Sure, the kid was easy on the eyes, but he didn't seem the least bit interested in Grimmjow. _Though the blushing indicated otherwise..._

Grimmjow shrugged and decided to find something decent to wear. He was at least going to look good when he saw him, if nothing else.

Hopefully their third encounter would work out a little better than the last two had.

When Grimmjow had finished getting dressed and feeding his cat, he went outside, remembering that Yoruichi didn't know his apartment number. He leaned against the walls of the building and waited, wondering why he was even letting this happen in the first place. Grimmjow doesn't apologize. Ever.

When he saw Yoruichi's Mazda pull up in the parking lot he went over to the car and got in. She grinned at him, a triumphant glint in her eyes.

"So you _do_ care."

"..."

* * *

**A/N:** Review please.


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